Growing into a show or Stripping off??

[The Mass]

I seen few threads about this (about some people grow into a show,or bulking up then stripping the weight off)..I would like to know how you guys do it or thoughts...

(being on)Bulking up for 3 months or however long u bulk for then cutting down for 3 months for a show or however long u diet for.

(being on)Bulking up for 3 months or however long u bulk for take 3 months off or more then getting back on when its time for a show, for 3 months or however longer u diet for a show..

Or only be on when its time to diet for a show 3-4months and grow into the show??

What are you guy's thoughts and what do you guys do??

 

[Dad]

A really interesting question!

Arnold and the guys back in his day mostly grew into the shows. Of course, they'd generally only compete in one show per year, but Arnold was known to drop down to 210 in the off-season, then come back up to 240+ for competition.

This all seemed to change in the late '80's - early '90's with guys "bulking up" in the off-season, then having a lot of fat to lose. But, guys did this back earlier, too. There was a guy, named Bruce Randall I think, who went to 280+ and FAT, then stripped down to around 200 or so.

So...it seems like these trends go back and forth, with new generations "discovering" something that's already been done by a prior one.

Personally, I've done both, and don't have much use for the "bulking" notion. For many, this is just adding a lot of extra fat to get "big" or "put on size," - fat that just has to then be lost if one is going to compete.

Just my 2 cents...

 

[MAINEVENT]

IMO, there are 2 reasons why a person grows into a show.

1. They are not 100% dedicated during their offseason and then finally get their shit together for precontest ...(thats me)

2. They are off gear and not force feeding during the offseason, then when they start precontest they use gear and eat more clean calories than the offseason.(ex. km2000)

In a nutshell, thats my opinion.

 

[The Mass]

Thing I was thinking is..if someone grew into a show..how much muscle they will actully put on in a year then if someone bulked then cut down..??

I didn't really understand why people will force feed themselfs with so much food in offseason..if i eat 1-2 huge meals then im done for the day..i eat smaller meals or lite density foods..so i can eat multipile times a day..i think people get caught up with to much eating to gain size...

 

[MAINEVENT]

Mass: I would say the same amount or maybe even less because then they have to sacrifice to come in shape.

Ill give an example, a good friend of mine competed at 188 one year. He took two years and finally bulked to 260....he looked like shit. When he dieted down 2 years later, he came in at 195-197. IMO, he could have stayed healthier and leaner and gained the same amount of muscle.

BTW, this guy does everything to the "T".

 

[The Mass]

Mass: I would say the same amount or maybe even less because then they have to sacrifice to come in shape.

Ill give an example, a good friend of mine competed at 188 one year. He took two years and finally bulked to 260....he looked like shit. When he dieted down 2 years later, he came in at 195-197. IMO, he could have stayed healthier and leaner and gained the same amount of muscle.

BTW, this guy does everything to the "T".

oh okay thats good..that was the only thing I was worried about..is progression of muscle gain..wow in 2 years he was only 10 pounds heaiver...ya he could def could have done it healthier and leaner...Yah cuz last year I got up to 254 looked liked shit cuz at my before pics I was 246 or something..and when i did my after shots i saw what i looked like and was embrassing...lol im dreading seeing them again..

 

[bulldog21]

Thing I was thinking is..if someone grew into a show..how much muscle they will actully put on in a year then if someone bulked then cut down..??

I didn't really understand why people will force feed themselfs with so much food in offseason..if i eat 1-2 huge meals then im done for the day..i eat smaller meals or lite density foods..so i can eat multipile times a day..i think people get caught up with to much eating to gain size...

People force feed themselves to put on more size than they currently have.Food is the most anabolic substance and in copious amounts with heavy intense training and rest you can break through plateau's in size and weight.....

You'll reach a point where you won't make gains by leaps and bounds everytime you try and put on size.......Its then time to go back to the basics and start shoveling food in along with training like a man infected with rabies....lol.....

At least this is my opinion why I force food down my throat when I don't want to...

 

[Wana B Big]

well im going to use a ex friend of mine for a eg. he was nat ripped ,vascular and abbs before touching a weight at all ,he would take dball test train 3 days a week eat k.f.c. french fries ,flavoured milk lollies, also skip breakfast ,and smoke dope every day i shit you not he looked like a pro bbuilder thick dence the lot , and get this he would only train while he was on,this is the tipe of person who would grow into a show, ps but he had legs like a school girl.

 

[The Mass]

well im going to use a ex friend of mine for a eg. he was nat ripped ,vascular and abbs before touching a weight at all ,he would take dball test train 3 days a week eat k.f.c. french fries ,flavoured milk lollies, also skip breakfast ,and smoke dope every day i shit you not he looked like a pro bbuilder thick dence the lot , and get this he would only train while he was on,this is the tipe of person who would grow into a show, ps but he had legs like a school girl.

if he had legs of a school girl..then he didn't look like a pro bber..that bodypart seperates the mens from the boys..lol

 

[MrDeflation]

how exactly do you "grow into a show" when on a precontest restricted calorie diet?

 

[debo22]

i think it depends on where you are in your development. if you are still trying to add mass then lean bulking does have its place. if you are happy with your size and naturally carry low bf then growing into a show is more feasible. i like the idea of growing into a show and more do it tham you think.

i am a project in progress so i lean bulk non stop. i will not do a show if i can't step on stage at 225 ripped 6'1". i figure my lean mass is about 205-210 right now at 245. it will take me another 2 years to add another 20 pounds. once i do hit my goal i plan on being like a smaller version of dex jackson ( not literally). staying close to 10% year round and growing into shows or fitness shoots. i think its healthier this way and can be done without extreme amounts of aas. GH in a low does will soon be added year round.

 

[debo22]

how exactly do you "grow into a show" when on a precontest restricted calorie diet?

genetics. its not for everyone.

 

[maxsupplements]

ok... i will post what i do

not to get flamed. but i do this. instead of growing into a show, i grow into whatever photoshoot or whatever i need to grow for. i seem to have some side issues even on low doses. so, i have for the past 2 years, stayed clean in the winter months, and ate and trained great. held a steady weight. and watched it close. if i got a little light, i might add a heavy weightgainer in. i normally stay VERY lean. around 8-9%bf year round. but i weigh around 185-90ish in the winter months. so, when i want to say do a photoshoot for memorial day, i start a small light cycle in march, and run it til june-ish. and i GROW into my target date. i get even leaner, and gain some nice size. i currently am around 6-7%bf and 198 this morning. so, i am satisfied. i am even clean as of last friday now.

so, me, personally, i would prefer to grow INTO a show. not bulk like a mad man and fight to get lean....

to each his own..

 

[oldfella]

I grow into a show. I usually maintain my bodyweight to within a couple of kilos while dieting for a show. When i was doing shows every year I stayed pretty close to the mark. For example i might start my comp prep at a BW of 120kg, 264ish. I'll stay right around that weight until the last six weeks and then it slowly starts to come down. The whole time Before the weight loss I am getting more definition as the BF levels continue to drop. I feel this is probably the best way to preserve as much lean mass as possible while getting ready for a show. This time around it has been a four year layoff from comps, I've bulked up alright.......FAT ASS!! but it will be intersting to see where i come in. I have already made some good changes in just a month and still weighing in at 123kg or 270ish. So the process I used all along seems to still work. We'll see!! I'm hoping to hit the stage at 110kg or slightly higher!!